Bill-holder



UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER BUSWELL, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BILL-HOLDER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,949, dated March 24, 1863.

To a/ZZ whom, it 11mg concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER BUswELL, of San Francisco, in the State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bill-Holder or BillASat'es; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, foi ming part of this specification, in wlneh- Figure lis a view of the front of the billholder. Fig. 2 is a View of the back of the same. Fig. 3 is a section through the. clasp and holder, closed. Fig. 4 is asimilar section of the same just on the eve of being fastened or clasped. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the clasp disconnected from the bill-holder. Fig. 6 shows the billholder opened. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the whole.

My bill-holder is constructed of four pieces of neatly enameled pasteboard or other stiff material. The piece A, which bears an index on its front, is jointed to the piece B at a, so as to turn down in an outward or forward direction so as to expose indorsements on bills contained within the holder, while the pieces C D are connected to A and B by means of elastic bands E E, which pass through loops b b on the frontof pieces A B, being fastened securely at said loops so as not to slip in the saine. From these loops, on each side, these bands extend to and attach firmly on the front side edges, or thereabouts, of the pieces C D, as shown. The bands thus arranged connect the parts together, serve as hinges thereto, and also serve as tension spring-bands for compressing the billholder and insuring` a firm hold ofthe clasp, as presenti y described.

The clasp which I employ in connection with a bill-holder of the character essentially as described is formed of two thin metal plates, F G. The plate F is stamped wit-h sharp fasteningpoints d d d d, and with an opening, e, near its center, said opening being overhang by a beveled projection, f, formed on the metal by stamping it up after or while the slit which forms the opening c is formed. The plate G is also stamped with points d d d at its edges, and with a tongue, g, on its central straight-edge portion, as shown in Fig. 6; and this tongue portion is bent down and under, so as to form along` beveled hook, l1, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. The plates F G, thus formed, are fastened to the pieces C D of the billholder, as represented, by inserting the points d d into the pasteboard or other inaterial of which it is composed and then hammeri ng down the plates at said points.

The operation of this clasp in connection with the elastic bands is this: The pieces of the bill-holder are folded upon one another, as shown in Fig. 4, with bills between them. The hook of the piece C is then drawn up over the bevel or incline projection f of plate F (the elastic bands allowing the piece C to move with the hook-plate) until it reaches the terminus of the bevel projection, when, by a pressure of the hand, it lalls down below the projection, and is by the action ofthe springbands drawn into the opening e under the projection f. It is evident that the fastening thus effected is a very secure one, it bringing the tension of the spring-bands into play to retain it securely, and while this is the case the resistance of the fastening to the bands insures their bind upon the billholder in such a manner as to insure al perfect retention of bills, &c., between its folds. This compound action of the bands in connection with the clasp is the gist of my invention, and the fastening or clasp for etlecting the saineis a very simple and cheap one and perfectly secure.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The plate F, with its bevel projection fand lateral opening e, in combination with the plate. G, with its tongue g, when used in' connection with elastic bands applied to a billholder, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ALEX. BUS WELL.

Witnesses:

GEo. L. KINNEY, J As. D. ALEXANDER. 

